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Comment by osrec | Hacker News Reader

For those who own Peloton products, what do you think of them? Are they genuinely worth the price and continued financial commitment?

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One of the 70 reported incidents happened at my house three days ago. A 4-year-old child got sucked under the treadmill and he got rather severe facial abrasions.

Before the accident, we were very happy with both the bike and the treadmill. Now it's scary to think how dangerous they are given what we witnessed first-hand.

The fix seems so simple: a guard at the end of the tread that prevents things from being sucked under it. Kind of mind-numbing that this simple feature isn't included in such a high-end product.

I'm sorry this happened and I'm glad your child isn't more severely injured.

Peloton keeps referencing a 'key' that should be preventing this. Is this like a lanyard on a jetski or other devices that you attach to yourself in case you fall which activates a kill switch? If so, does this mean that people are leaving them in during these incidents?

(I'm not going for a 'blame the victim' attempt, I'm just trying to figure out what it is that Peloton was first trying to use as their defense before caving)

I’m sorry, but what was a 4-year old child doing near a switched-on Peloton? I cannot visualize a chain of events that leads to this scenario happening.

Kids are unpredictable. Parents are human. Shit happens.

It was the child of a guest at a BBQ that I was hosting. The parents were socializing with other adults while some of the children were playing. They didn't see that the kids had gone into the gym.

I've had the bike for four years. Cost both one time and recurring is pretty high, but the product is of high quality. I've taken thousands of spin classes IRL and several hundred on the Peloton. Peloton is superior both in the hardware/software and instruction. Classes are taught by extremely well compensated instructors (I've heard $300K) so they are the best available. The best part for me is the library. There are thousands of archived classes starting with classes that ended ten minutes ago back several years. And not just cycling or running. The full body warmup classes have transformed my lifting routine and the yoga classes are now integral to my fitness program.

It's about $40 a month, which covers our family. My wife and I are fitness enthusiasts and this is more than offset by not having a gym membership or having to drive to exercise. We do have about $5K total in our home gym (rubber flooring, cable machine, dumbbells and benches etc.) For us being able to get quality classes and workout on our schedule offsets any added cost.

Nice, that home gym sounds like a great set up. I've built one at home, focused around a rowing machine (one of the best workouts in my opinion) + weights. I use YouTube row along videos for motivation.

I don't know if the live classes would provide much value to me (I struggle to enjoy in person fitness classes too), but judging by the comments on here, I guess a lot of people do value them a great deal.

For anyone looking for a weight machine recommendation...this one: https://www.costco.com/inspire-fitness-ftx-functional-traine...

Gym quality delivered to your house. Weighs A LOT so only buy if you're pretty committed to your current domicile. It is solid and smooth. With Cosco, you get a bench included in the price that is less than other retailers for the exact same machine.

It's actually the one I have, and I bought it from Costco in the UK!

If you have to choose one, machines like this are vastly inferior to a simple power rack and barbell for the purposes of becoming strong.

Another vote for a power rack and barbell. I think people like machines because they're scared of getting hurt by falling weights but they make super nice safety straps now. You can train the squat and bench press to failure in almost complete safety now. Here's a picture of my basement setup, you can google instructions to build the platform.

Pics: https://imgur.com/a/GJuqCWy

Nice setup! I'm jealous. (That's a Rogue rack, right? I recognize the pin spacings.)

I surmise the injury rate using machines at comparable weights is almost certainly higher than with free weights. (Injury rates from free weight training is extremely low regardless, lower than almost any other sport.) The resulting adaptation is also, of course, far superior.

Indeed, it's a Rogue R-3 "Shorty". I would recommend a Rogue Monster Lite or Monster these days, the R3 line isn't getting the same support as before.

I agree completely about the advantages of free weights. Learning how to deadlift has been life-changing for me.

I've never taken a spin class, but what does an instructor do in one? Isn't this just a matter of "go faster, go slower" like with typical preset options on cardio machines? Are these people really getting paid this much to hype up participants, and why doesn't a prerecorded video work just as well?

Never done Peloton, but I think the instructors will call out people by name to say they're doing great or "congrats on your 100th ride", stuff like that. I imagine that kind of live feedback can be very motivating. Even if you aren't personally being addressed, just knowing that the instructor can see you and is working out along with you is a very different feeling than watching a recording, and feelings are all that matter if you're looking for motivation.

Also, hyping people up is hard, and building a dedicated audience is harder. They pay a lot because if the popular instructors leave, so will the users.

I think the instructors will call out people by name to say they're doing great or "congrats on your 100th ride"

While I find that works well in a private class setting "Great job Brenda! You're really improving!" since hundreds, even thousands of people take Peloton classes, you have a very low chance of acknowledgement and the teacher spends a lot of time reading off "Congrats on the 100 rides spf100! Thanks for coming to my class WineGirl21231! 1000 rides for Luv2RideMan12!"

"But nobody rocks like 'Springfield'"

https://youtu.be/fiaWwjZS50s?t=101

I have always asked myself why a prerecorded video doesn't work just as well, it sure seems like it should, especially in these 1:10000 classes. Personally, and apparently for many others, it just doesn't. I really have no idea why, I can pontificate that it has to do with being on a schedule, or when they say your name or encourage you directly, but in the moment those things don't seem valuable. That being said it does certainly seem to nudge me to more action, which in exercise seems worth it if you can afford the price.

I don't own a Peloton, but I do spin classes, live online yoga classes and run and bike on my own. I will probably buy a Peloton if prices come down on the secondary market as the pandemic ends.

A significant portion of Peloton's appeal is that all the live classes are recorded. I personally haven't taken a single live class. But the thing about even the recorded content is that there has always been at least 3-4 people also doing the class at the same time, and the ability to see.their.progress vs your own and the ability to high five are both pretty motivational,.and you are always able to see.your previous PR, and power output. The other.thing about the Peloton recorded courses is that because they were recorded live, they still feel live when you are taking it at a later period.

I was skeptical too at first, now you'll have to pry my Peloton bike from my dead cold hands. It's been a game changer for me.in terms of fitness.

Pay the $20 and take a spin class sometime. Crossfit also has some similarities. There is a group aspect that motivates, pushes and pulls people along.

The instructors are 1 part DJ, 1 part program designer, 1 part hype person, 1 part personality, 1 part community leader, etc...

Recorded videos work fine, all (I think) Peloton classes are available in the back catalog.

I'm pretty self motivated (I power lifted for years, which is a huge grind), but my cardio work has always been more intense and effective when instructor led.

Fitness instructors at the Peleton level are influencers who draw their own audiences. It’s actually kinda nuts; one of their top instructors used to be one of my regular instructors at the local spin gym I used to go to. I didn’t think she was anything special but apparently she has like a million followers on Instagram. This is just one hustle for someone making a career as a fitness guru.

That, plus DJ, motivational speaker, and (for in-person classes) often a friend.

At Peloton's scale, I imagine recordings would work just as well. But, the instructor does the same things. For live classes with smaller groups, there can be a lot of 1-on-1 interaction.

If you don't like being tied to a single subscription service, the Keiser m3i is also a high quality bike, price for the bike is close to that of the Peloton.

I use it along with the Peloton app ($13/mo).

https://www.keiser.com/fitness-equipment/cardio-training/m3i...

You summed up the experience well. Many hotels have Pelotons in their fitness rooms now so I was able to try one before buying. It is the closest thing to an in person spin class I have tried, plus the Peloton bike and stat tracking is much better.

The cost seems high to a typical gym membership, but Peloton is competing with spin studios which are stupid expensive. If one considers the cost to be split between at least 2 family members, it's relatively cheap.

You touched on it, but the other types of classes are also very good. I've canceled my normal gym membership and am just slowly building out my home gym now.

I don't understand why anyone would pay that kind of money to get stuck in a proprietary ecosystem with a monthly fee. I guess it's aimed at the gym going spinning crowd and not the cycling crowd, but there are plenty of options if you look at what cyclists, both pros and regular enthusiasts, use.

There are different hardware options like a regular bike on a trainer [0], or a smart bike like the Wattbike or Wahoo Kickr bike [1]. These use open standards and let you use different software, and if you use a regular bike on a trainer you can even use it outside when the weather permits.

The most popular cycling training software is Zwift, it's basically the de facto standard just like Strava by this point. But you don't have to use it.

[0] https://www.dcrainmaker.com/product-reviews/trainers

[1] https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2019/10/smart-shootout-wahookick...

> I don't understand why anyone would pay that kind of money to get stuck in a proprietary ecosystem with a monthly fee.

Because they believe they are getting value through the some combination of equipment, exercise, leadership and community. It has worked for a long time, most recently with BeachBody, Peleton, and now Apple Fitness+.

When you take a minute to understand why it works, you can quibble about the cost, but there's no denying that the customers are happy with what they are buying. Nobody is bamboozled into these business models.

Some people like to pay extra so they don't have to spend free time to tinker. Look at the pages you listed and all the research you have to do to vet these options.

When I was younger and had more free time, I would tinker, too, content with my saving $20 there or $200 here, ignoring that the savings were a wash considering the time involved to find these discounts. These days sometimes I just pay extra knowing I'm not getting the best deal, but I'm getting something that works out of the box without me fiddling or having to spend my precious free time outside of work reading about the exciting exercise bike industry of all things.

It all boils down to what benefit you get out of the ecosystem. One could make the same argument about buying a Apple devices or a Tesla, or even Le Creuset pans. And yet, all of those are highly successful businesses that built a loyal consumer base.

The bike and the instructors are best-in-class. All of the accessories (shoes, weights, apparel, etc) that I've picked up have been cheap (but expensive) and underwhelming. Can't speak to the treadmill, but this recall article says a lot. The bike is one of my favorites possessions though and I'd be devastated if that ever went away.

Totally agree with everything you said! Why are their Peloton brand Heart monitors so unbelievably shitty? And can you recommend a better shoe that works with the bike? I didn't come from the world of cycling so I didn't know anything about bikes before Peleton.

I've been wearing the Giro Empire E70 Knit shoes for the past ~6mo, and I've got nothing but good things to say about them.

This is spot on - and the pedals. OMG the f-ing pedals. I've never used the Peloton ones (went straight to SPDs as are on our MTBs), but the Facebook groups are full of pedal complaints. It's the butterfly keyboard of Peloton.

Edit: Regarding shoe/pedal combinations. Sidi shoes if they will fit you otherwise I'd go with Specialized. The BOA fasteners are really good - crazy durable, easy, they stay, can be replaced etc. no downside except upfront cost maybe. I really like SPD pedals - Shimano XT in particular. The lower models have a plastic part that will wear and the bearings go sooner. XTR pedals cost a fortune for no durability gain and it's a spin bike so not going anywhere.

Whenever I've used a Peloton in a hotel they have SPD pedals. It's almost like they use Deltas to push people to buy their shoes.

But yeah, my wife and I already had SPD shoes from doing spin together for awhile, so I bought pedals and never used the ones that came with the Peloton.

The standard pedals use Look Delta cleats. You can use any shoe that is compatible with those cleats. I can't recommend any ones in particular - it's a bit like running shoes in that you want to try them on if possible.

Cycling shoes run the gamut of price, features and preferences.

Top three brands off the top of my head:

1. Bontrager: Owned by Trek, and is the most common type of spin shoe used in studios. Will have something for all price ranges, and have been around for a while.

2. Specialized: More ubiquitous in the cycling world, a slight amount of paying for the brand, but will also have everything you need. Most popular cycling brand, especially on the high end.

3. Fizik: Personal favorite because they are better for high arches out of the box. Unlike the other two, these guys don't make bikes, just shoes and seats. And they do both extremely well.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND going to a bike shop to buy the shoes and have the cleats fitted to your shoe in-person. This prevents injuries and improves results on the bike.

Pay for in-store once, take a silver sharpie, outline where the cleat is placed on the bottom of the shoe. Now you can replace the cleats for $20, and have a good idea of where to place them if/when you need a new pair of shoes.

Giro, Northwave, Sidi, Rapha, Shimano, Pearl Izumi, Adidas, ...

If you have narrow or low-volume feet, the Italian brands might work best.

I have a Bike+, and it's incredible. It's well worth the money. It's the best marriage of software and hardware product design that I have ever seen in this space.

I would never buy any treadmill. They aren't super safe in general, and Peloton's treadmills are less safe than your average one.

I would definitely by a future weight machine or rower from them, but I have no interest in one of their treads.

So there are two routes you can take if you want some sort of gamified fitness bike at home. First one is the Peloton or one of the similar bikes that focus on the spin style classes. The other option, for those that are more into cycling, are some form of smart cycling trainer (like the Wahoo Kickr) or even Peloton like bike (WattBike) that actually gives you real power readings. This integrates with platforms like Zwift, TrainerRoad, or Sufferfest to provide more cycling focused fitness.

Peloton is great if you want the "spinning" experience, but not as great if you're just a cardio junkie looking at getting a "riding your bike" experience, but indoors.

Peloton just announced that they are making significant investments in their just ride the bike offerings. I don't know if it will get to the level of zwift or those others, but they recognize that there is an opportunity there to improve their offerings.

Peloton is my most frequently used streaming service. I use it for meditation, short 10 min workouts at my desk, longer bike workouts & cardio. I probably do several a day.

Very much worth the price, even without the bike. The instructors are all great, and I don't stress about the quality of any class -> I just jump into one. They all are great.

I _do_ miss having feedback on my form from an in person instructor. But post pandemic I can do this sporadically and make peloton my everyday.

I love the bike. I ride (or take one of the strength classes, or yoga, or even just stretching) nearly every day, and have for a few months now. Before getting it my workouts were spotty..I'd be strict about working out for a week or two at a time and then fall off for a few weeks, rinse and repeat. I've actually lost close to 20lbs since getting it, though part of that is because I've cut down on drinking a bit.

I feel the social aspect is both the reason why I continue to ride but also really lacking. I have a group chat with friends who also have a Peloton and more often than not there's one or two that want to ride, so it's easy motivation to be like ok I'll jump on too. But also..it's difficult to actually follow friends and their progress as there's no real feed of any sort, just individual pages that you have to jump through a couple of menus to get to.

After trying various “spin bikes”, all others feel cheap compared to a Peloton. The production values and instructors are also the best, and IMO is one of the big selling points.

Having tried the Tread+, it was easily one of the best treadmills I’ve ever used that feels most like natural running.

Yes by far. I've got the bike. It's well engineered, the software is good, the classes are good, and even though it's expensive, it's still cheaper than a gym membership for my wife and I. Would buy again.

I personally don't find them to be worth it. The 'community' and 'social' aspects are vastly overblown. It's hard for me to even know when my friends are doing a workout so I can encourage them or compete with them, for example. So the network effects that I expected from such a product simply aren't there. The app also feels surprisingly low in features for how long they've been around. Their Android app is also far behind their iOS app.

So if the network effects aren't there, what is the product? In my opinion it is a high quality, sturdy bike and recorded classes. But those aren't great differentiators anymore. Other brands like Nordictrack have high quality bikes as well, with cheaper subscriptions, some features Peloton doesn't have, and a better 'default' feature set if you turn off your subscription. Peloton may have a larger library of studio classes, but above a certain number having more classes does not really add any benefit. Peloton didn't seem to think the library size has much impact, when they casually removed many classes when they were sued for using music without rights (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/peloton-music-lawsuit-removing-...).

In my opinion, you are just as well off doing a home-built Peloton (https://www.cnet.com/health/fitness/diy-peloton-bike-how-to-...) or considering alternatives from Nordictrack (https://www.nordictrack.com/exercise-bikes/s22i-studio-bike) or Bowflex (https://www.bowflex.com/bikes/) or Echelon (https://echelonfit.com/products/connect-bike-ex-7s) or whatever.

As a spin bike, they are nice. Expensive, but nice. As an indoor cycling trainer, there are better options.

Not sure I'd spend a lot of money on a deathtrap whose entire purpose is to recreate a Victorian method of corporal punishment.

Lol, I wasn't expecting such a cynical view!

I know your comment is intended to be tounge-in-cheek but just to clarify: this recall is of Peloton's treadmill. The vast majority of Peloton users use their spin bike.

I see the downvotes, but I appreciated that description, lol!

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